The Miracles of Nuclear Fission and Fusion

Nuclear fission and fusion promise an abundance of rare compounds and a clean,

efficient alternative to burning oil for energy. By bombarding a heavy nucleus with slow

neutrons, nuclear fission may be achieved, and the nucleus will split apart. By inducing the

collision of multiple nuclei with medium masses, nuclear fusion may be achieved, and a larger

nucleus will form. These processes are highly essential to life on Earth.

The research which has been conducted on the subjects of nuclear fission and nuclear

fusion has been very interesting, educational, and important. Firstly, they are interesting because

the mere thought of melding together and breaking apart nuclear particles is one which inspires

the hearts and minds of people everywhere. This is not surprising, considering that nuclear

fission may produce rarities such as gold from otherwise valueless elements such as lead.

Secondly, they are educational because the breakthroughs which have made nuclear power plants

possible have educated mankind about the nature of elements. Scientists now know that

elements are not simply separate entities but can be converted into other elements. Lastly, the

processes involved in nuclear fission and fusion are extremely important to the Earth and human

race. A large number of critical compounds will soon be used up. Nuclear fission and fusion

brings hope to the equation, because abundant elements can be put together or broken apart to

form more atoms of specific elements. Then, the newly formed atoms may be bound to form

rare and useful compounds. Also, the processes of nuclear fission and fusion create so much

energy that environment-polluting oil would be obsolete. One can see that nuclear fission and

fusion are extremely important to life on Earth.

Perhaps nuclear fission and fusion can be better appreciated through the understanding of

their history and methods. The first nuclear reaction was one which was neither efficient nor
useful. Enrico Fermi, an Italian physicist, was a pioneer in the field of nuclear physics. In 1938,

Fermi won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his “demonstrations of the existence of new

radioactive elements produced by neutron irradiation, and for his related discovery of nuclear

reactions brought about by slow neutrons” (Wikipedia). However, he was not the first to

successfully perform nuclear fission. On December 17, 1938, Otto Hahn, jointly with Lise

Meitner and Fritz Strassmann, bombarded a uranium nucleus with several neutrons to produce

traces of the element barium. Although the experiment was a significant advancement in the

study of nuclear physics, the reaction was very impractical.

Enrico Fermi is best known for his research and work on the first nuclear reactor. In

1942, Fermi, along with his associates Martin Whittaker and Walter Zinn, supervised the

construction and operation of Chicago Pile-1 (CP-1). The world’s first successful artificial and

self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was initiated by CP-1 on December 2, 1942. The

experiment changed how the world looked at nuclear reactions. Further research was conducted

to discover more efficient and safe methods to induce nuclear fission, leading to the world’s first

electricity-generating nuclear power plant, Experimental Breeder Reactor I (EBR-I).

All of the scientists’ research and work led to the general consensus that nuclear fission is

when “a very heavy nucleus splits into more-stable nuclei of intermediate mass” (Davis 717).

For example, to split a uranium-235 nucleus, one must bombard the nucleus with slow neutrons.

The uranium-235 nucleus may capture one of the neutrons, making it highly unstable. The

nucleus splits into two medium-mass parts with the emission of more neutrons. The mass of the

products is less than the mass of the reactants, therefore, the missing mass has been converted to

energy, according to Einstein’s equation (E=mc2).

 Although nuclear fission has been harnessed and is employed in nuclear power plants,

safe nuclear fusion remains a mystery to scientists. The process of nuclear fusion emits even

more energy per gram of fuel than nuclear fusion, making it ideal to use in nuclear weapons, but

unsafe for electricity production. Stars, including our sun, utilize nuclear fusion naturally to

produce helium nuclei. Scientists have yet to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of

safe nuclear fusion on Earth. One of the problems is that no known material can withstand the

extreme temperature, about 108 K, required to induce nuclear fusion. Methods that induce fusion

at lower temperatures are being researched.

Although the miracles of nuclear fission and fusion are tremendously important and

useful to mankind, many say that nuclear waste, a byproduct of nuclear reactions, may harm the

environment. Nuclear waste is stored at many certified waste storage areas around the world.

The waste is generally stored in dry casks underground to prevent degradation of the

environment. However, scientists say that the nuclear waste storage containers are not enough to

stop leakage into the environment. Researchers at Cambridge University have found that

zirconium silicate, which the nuclear industry had hoped could safely store radioactive waste,

becomes a less reliable material after 1,400 years instead of the desired 250,000 years. More

reliable storage materials are currently being researched.

As can be deduced from current research and news headlines, there is much work to be

done in order to fully capture the potential of nuclear fission and fusion. However, what has

been accomplished through the combined efforts of scientists such as Enrico Fermi and Otto

Hahn is an extraordinary step forward for mankind. The miracles of nuclear fission and fusion

have been discovered and their potential has been realized. With the world’s supply of oil

dwindling, there is a need for a new energy source. The process of burning currently used fossil
fuels releases harmful pollutants such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Once the

technology to safely store nuclear waste and to conduct safe nuclear fusion is discovered, the

world will be a cleaner and more inhabitable place for its population of almost seven billion

people. Nuclear fission and fusion are truly life-saving miracles.

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 Bibliography – Works Cited

"Chicago Pile-1." Wikipedia. 20 Dec. 2006. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 15 Jan. 2007.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Pile-1>.

"Enrico Fermi." Wikipedia. 15 Jan. 2007. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 15 Jan. 2007.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrico_Fermi>.

Davis, Raymond E., H. C. Metcalfe, John E. Williams, and Joseph F. Castka. Modern Chemistry.
Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 701-719.

Frew, Wendy. "Nuclear Waste Containers Will Not Work, Say Scientists." The Sydney Morning
Herald 17 Jan. 2007. 16 Jan. 2007. <http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/nuclear-waste-
containers-will-not-work-say-scientists/2007/01/16/1168709754669.html>.

"Otto Hahn." Wikipedia. 11 Jan. 2007. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 15 Jan. 2007.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Hahn>.